Means for handling hanging scenery in theaters.



S. G. BAILEY.

MEANS FOR HANDLING HANGING SGENBRY IN THEATERS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 25, 1911.

1,027,028. Patnted May 21, 1912.

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UN TED STATES PATENT oEEicE.

SETH G. BAILEY, 0E DENVER, COLORADOLASSIGNOR TO THE BAILEY THEATRE FLYRAIL MACHINE COMPANY, or DENVER. COLORADO, A CORPORATION OF COLORADO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1912.

Application filed January 25, 1911. Serial No. 604,681.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SETH G. BAILEY, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for HandlingHanging Scenery in Theaters; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to thecharacters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates generally to improvements in means for handlinghanging scenery in theaters, but more specifically to a specialconstruction and arrangement of ropes and pulleys adapted for use inconnection with suitable hoisting mechanism arranged in units, therebeing as many units as there are curtains or flies to be handled in thetheater, auditorium or other structure where the same is employed.

It is of the utmost importance in constructions of this class that themechanism be so arranged that the rope and pulley con struction forhandling each fly be confined within narrow limits; and the mechanismcovered by my present improvement may be located within a space of fourinches in a horizontal direction. The necessity for mechanism that canbe confined within such a limited space will be understood when it isstated that in a theater or auditorium of ordinary or medium size, from55 to curtains or flies are employed, thus necessitating that acorresponding number of hoistlng mechanism units be employed and locatedwithin the space corresponding with the length of the stage from frontto rear.

Having brie-fly outlined my improved construction, I will proceed todescribe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanyingdrawing which illustrates a single hoisting unit together with thecurtain or fly and the rope and pulley mechanism employed in connectiontherewith and forming the basis for my present application.

In this drawing let the numeral 5 designate the framework of theoperating mechanism upon which upper and lower shafts 6 and 7 arejournaled. Upon these shafts are respectively mounted upper and lowerdrums 8 and 9, connected by a cable 13. The upper drum is adapted toreceive a cable 14 connected with a pulley block 11 carrying pulleys 15,16 and 17, which respectively engage the three cables 18, 19 and 20employed in connection with each scenic member 21, the said pulleysengaging the cables in running relation intermediate the cableextremities, the latter being respectively attached to the scenic memberand the pin-rail 22. Between the pulley block 11 and the pin-rail threepulleys 23, 24 and 25, and three other pulleys 26, 27 and 28, arelocated, the said pulleys forming an anti-frictional support for thecables 18, 19 and 20 when the apparatus is in use. Between the pulleyblock and the scenic member, pulleys 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34 arelocated, the said pulleys forming antifrictional supporting guides forthe cables 18, 19 and 20 between the traveling pulley block and thescenic member.

Attention is called to the fact that the pulleys 15, 16 and 17 carriedby the pulley block 11, vary in size, the lowermost pulley 15 being thelargest and the other pulleys gradually diminishing in size, theuppermost pulley 17 being smallest. The object of th1s construction isto make it practicable to employ a relatively short pulley block and atthe same time prevent the interference of the cables with each other asthe sharpness of their angles varies during the downward movement of thepulley block. It is important to employ a relatively short pulley block,since by so doing the block is permitted to travel vertically acomparatively long distance without coming in contact with thestationary structure 35 above, or the framework 5 of the operatingmechanism below. This construction and arrangement permits the raisingand lowering operation to be performed within a space of less heightthan would be required were a longer pulley block used.

Attention is called to the fact that the framework 35 is arch-shaped andcarries on one side thereof the pulleys 23, 24 and 25, and on the otherside the pulleys 29, 30, and 31. This framework is made arch-shaped inorder to make as large a space as possible for the vertical movement ofthe pulley block within an inclosure of a given height.

It is evident that if the pulleys 16 and 17 were of the same size as thepulley 15, the cables, where they engage these pulleys, would beconsiderably nearer together at all times, and hence during the downwardmovement of the pulley block, by reason of the changing of the angles ofthe cables with reference to a vertical line passed through the axes ofthe pulleys, the cables would engage each other after a comparativelyshort downward movement of the block. With the same object in view thepulleys 26, 27 and 28 mounted on a stationary support 36 are made ofvarying size, but in the reverse order, the uppermost pulley beinglargest and the other pulleys diminishing in size downwardly. It may benoted that from these pulleys 26, 27 and 28, the cables extenddownwardly in a direction nearly vertical to the pin-rail 22, and byvirtue of the varying size of the pulleys which lie in the same verticalplane, the cables are prevented from rubbing against each other duringthe original adjustment of the scenic member. It may be stated in thisconnection that structural advantages which permit the economical use ofspace in a construction of this character are of the utmost importance,since the space available is always limited and constructions whichrequire relatively large units in connection with the various scenicmembers are virtually prohibitive so far as their use for the purposeintended is concerned. It is for this reason that it is important thatall of the pulleys employed in connection with the three cables usedwith each scenic member should lie in the same vertical plane, since byso doing they may be kept within the width of space required by eachoperating unit of the structure. This feature will be better understoodwhen it is remembered that in a theater of medium or average. size from55 to 60 flies or scenic members are employed, requiring an equal numberof operating units, all of which in order to be practicable, must becrowded within a length of space approximately equal to the length ofthe stage from front to rear. Hence in practice I have found itnecessary to limit the width of each operating unit to approximately aspace of four inches.

In the operation of the device any suitable hoisting mechanism may beemployed, since it will be understood that the invention is not limitedto the special construction of hoisting mechanism which has been onlybriefly described herein, as nothing is claimed thereon in thisapplication, the same being fully protected by a copending application,Serial No. 59 1, 166, and further by Patent No. 977,500 issued to meDec. 6, 1910. Hence assuming that suitable mechanism be employed forraising and lowering the curtain 21 by moving the pulley block 11 up anddown, by virtue of the connection of the cable 14: with said mechanism,the ropes 18, 19 and 20 are so adjusted as to leave the required lengthfor the purpose between the pin-rail 22 and the curtain. These ropes arethen fastened to the pin-rail and no further manipulation of the ropesis necessary in trimming the curtain. During the downward movement ofthe pulley block in raising the curtain, it will be observed that byvirtue of the fact that the pulleys 17, 16 and 15 diminish in size fromtop to bottom, there is no conflict between the various ropes 15, 16 and18 or the pulleys on the block which they engage. Furthermore the cables18, 19 and 20 may be drawn downwardly in a single plane to the pin-railfrom the pulleys 26, 27 and 28, without material interference, since thelast named pulleys increase in size from the bottom toward the top.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination with a movable scenic member or other load, of anoperating drum,

a cable connected with the drum, a block.

connected with the cable and carrying a number of pulleys arranged oneabove another and diminishing in size from the bottom toward the top,ropes connected with the scenic member at one extremity and engaging therespective pulleys of the block in running relation, guide pulleysmounted on a stationary support and engaging the said ropes, and apin-rail to which the opposite extremities of the ropes are detachablyconnected, the pulley block being located intermediate the pin-rail andthe scenic member.

2. The combination with a movable scenic member or other load, of anoperating drum, a cable connected with the drum, a block connected withthe cable and carrying a number of pulleys arranged one above anotherand varying in size from top to bottom, the uppermost pulley beingsmallest and all of the said pulleys lying between the same verticalplanes, ropes connected with the scenic member at one extremity andengaging the respective pulleys of the block in running relation, guidepulleys mounted on a stationary support on opposite sides of the pulleyblock, and a pin-rail to which the opposite extremities of the ropes aredetachably connected, the pulley block being'located intermediate thepin-rail and the scenic member.

3. The combination with a movable scenic member, of an 'operating drum,a cable connected with the drum, a block connected with the cable andcarrying a number of pulleys varying in size from'top to bottom, the toppulley being smallest and all ofthe said pulleys lying between the samevertical planes, ropes connected with the scenic member at one extremityand engaging the respective pulleys of the block in running relation,guide pulleys mounted on a V- shaped stationary support and engaging thesaid ropes, and a pin-rail'to which the opposite extremities of theropes are detachably connected, the pulley block being locatedintermediate the pin-rail and the scenic member, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination with a movable scenic member or other load, of anoperating drum, a cable connected with the drum, a block connected withthe cable and carrying a number of pulleys all lying in the samevertical plane and varying in size from top to bottom, the uppermostpulley being smallest, ropes connected with the scenic member at oneextremity and engaging the respective pulleys of the block in runningrelation, guide pulleys mounted on a stationary arch-shaped support andengaging the said ropes, the stationary pulleys, the pulleys of theblock and the scenic member all lying between the same vertical planes,and a pin-rail to which the opposite extremities of the ropes areconnected, the pulley block being interposed between the pin-rail andthe scenic member, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a movable scenic member or other load, of anoperating drum, a cable connected with the drum, a block connected withthe cable above the drum and equipped with pulleys all lying between thesame vertical planes and varying in size from top to bottom, theuppermost pulley being smallest, flexible devices connected with thescenic member and engaging the pulleys of the block in running relation,a stationary device with which the extremities of the flexible devicesare detachably connected, and pulleys mounted on a stationaryarch-shaped support for guiding the flexible devices connected with thescenic member, the space below the arch-shaped support being availablefor the vertical movement of the pulley block, which is interposedbetween the scenic member and the stationary device with which theflexible devices are connected.

6. The combination with a movable scenic member or other load, of anoperating drum, a cable connected with the drum at one extremity, apulley block with which the opposite extremity of the cable isconnected, pulleys mounted on the said block arranged one above another,lying in the same veitical plane and varying in size from top to bottom,the uppermost pulley being smallest, flexible devices connected with thescenic member and engaging the pulleys of the block in running relation,a stationary device with which the extremities of the flexible devicesare connected, pulleys mounted on the arch-shaped stationary support,the pulley block being arranged to move within the space inclosed by thearch, the last named pulleys forming guides for the flexible devices onopposite sides of the pulley block, the stationary pulleys, the pulleysof the block and the scenic member all lying between the same verticalplanes, the said plane cutting the axis of the drum transversely,substantially as described.

7 The combination with a movable scenic member or other load, of anoperating drum, a cable connected with the drum, a block connected withthe cable and carrying a number of pulleys arranged one above anotherbetween the same vertical planes and varying in size from top to bottom,the uppermost pulley being smallest, ropes connected with the scenicmember at one extremity and engaging the respective pulleys of the blockin running relation, guide pulleys mounted on the arch-shaped stationarysupport and engaging the said ropes, a pinrail to which the oppositeextremities of the ropes are detachably connected, and other guidepulleys also mounted on a stationary support which the cables engagebetween the pulleys of the arch-shaped support and the pin-rail, thesaid intermediate pulleys varying in size from top to bottom, theuppermost pulley being largest, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature Witnesses:

F. E. BOWEN, HonTnNsn UHLRICI-I.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Gommissioner of Iatents, Washington, D. G.

